You say potaytoes I say potahtoes (actually I don't) . . . let's just say that lab animals are known to live longer by taking in less food. Fasting in some manner equivalent to that would probably be a heathy thing to do.

I have looked for the article but have not found it . . . a National Geographic study of a remote village in Iran back in the 70s I believe. These people had an average life expectancy of something like 100 years. But their diet was not rich in all but a few essential vitamins. As I recall their main food sources were wheat and milk (goats I think). I'm not even sure they had any citrus, greens or high protein sources. As I recall it was very limited by our standards. I'll see if I can dig it up. I also had in mind the folks who live/lived off of whale blubber. Another group would be the native Americans of the Southwest -- in the regions where game was scarce -- who relied heavily on maize. I think if we keep digging we'll find that there plenty of examples in which people have subsisted on whatever nature provided. I guess it remains to be seen what their heath and longevity outlooks were.

Never do that, for sure. Once in a while though is probably better than loading up on vitamins. The other key is to eat in moderation. "All things in moderation" seems to be the rule.

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Yeah! I haven't been doing very many new posts in this forum, but I still may respond to topics that I get email notifications to. Also, I do take many supplements and have experienced some benefits. The one vitamin that has made the most noticeable difference to me is D3. I've been living in Washington state for the last 5 years and even when I do get out the sun is not shining that much. I've been taking 5000 IU every day and my memory has greatly improved. Anyway my next project is to cut down on my daily caloric intake without decreasing the nutrients I need.

As you get older the health issues that need to be managed seems to increase. Many of the health issues I have are probably because in my late teens the twenties and into the thirties I abused my body by being a party animal and eating a lot of the wrong kinds of food while not getting the daily exercise I needed. It does catch up with you sooner or later. In any event I've been doing quite a bit of research on supplements and am trying to stay current on the latest information I can get about there use. Just like it's never to late to quit smoking, improving your personal lifestyle will increase the quality and length of life you have left. At least that's what I believe.

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How much of this is artificial and psychological? We eat a lot of foods not available to primitive people -- cranberries don't grow near avocados, but how many time have your chased your guacamole with a cranberry enchilada? Just kidding, but you get my drift. Humans evolved to eat whatever was available. Apparently that doesn't demand a wide spectrum of foods. If we could show humans evolved somewhere where a wide spectrum of nutrients were known to be readily available, then so be it. But I seriously doubt that this is the case.

Take a look at how vitamin supplements and certain foods are semi-toxic and can be disastrous to the liver. Again: all things in moderation. That's the mantra.

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Are you forgetting that primitive people really don't have long life spans, many were lucky to live into their 30's. Admittedly that poor life expectancy wasn't completely do to a poor diet, but that was a big part of it. If you have a poor diet you will be more susceptible to any disease making the rounds, and if you are not healthy you couldn't defend yourself as well when others wanted what you had. As to how much of anything might be bad for your liver, it is a very good idea to know what you are doing before you start taking more than the minimum daily recommended dose of any supplement.

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@ Klown - I hope you do get better, as well as things in general. How much of the D vitamins are bad for you and does the body store any naturally?
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I have been taking daily a A-Z supplement and a B complex for a while. How long is too long? And is stay alert caffeine tabs bad for ya?

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@ Klown - I hope you do get better, as well as things in general. How much of the D vitamins are bad for you and does the body store any naturally?
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I have been taking daily a A-Z supplement and a B complex for a while. How long is too long? And is stay alert caffeine tabs bad for ya?

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With D3 it really depends on your bodies absorption of the vitamin and the only good way to know for sure is to have your doctor check your blood levels. But from every thing I've read as long as you stay below 10,000 iu per day, you should be alright. I take a 5000 iu small gel tab and then don't worry about the other minor sources. Since your body is able to produce it's own vitamin D3 whenever you expose your skin to sunlight it doesn't store any and needs continual replacement. As far as caffeine tabs go, I wouldn't class them as supplements, but they can help you stay alert at times when getting a cup of coffee is not an option. Only you can say if daily caffeine is bothering you. I've known people that have been drinking 3 or more cups of coffee every day for the last 40 years and still seem to be going strong.

I take 5000 IU ( 25mcg ) three times a day of D3 , it helps in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus

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I've read some studies that suggest that dosage over time might cause problems. But also that the only way you can really know what your blood levels are is to be tested to find out. At the very least you should become aware of what to look for if you start suffering from overdose symptoms. While the government recommendations are not keeping up with the latest findings on dosage, I do believe you can always over do a good thing.

Sense I made my last posts to this thread, I read an article titled "Rethinking Alzheimer's - An Intriguing Herpes Connection" and it talked about positive results of starting high levels of vitamin D. Below is clipped from that report.

The good news here is that at last Alzheimer's patients and their families have some hope. Current therapies aim merely to slow the progression of the disease or manage its effects. Dr. Perlmutter's therapeutic success suggest that you can reverse a cognitive decline and heal the brain. Here are my suggestions if you're dealing with Alzheimer's already or are at risk because of family history:

1. Get screened for the APOE4 allele and HSV1 antibodies.

2. Take natural anti-inflammatories like curcumin, and high levels of DHA and lysine.

3. Be aware of cold sores. They could be a risk marker for Alzheimer's.

4. Take high doses of vitamin D (5,000-10,000 IU) every day. Don't be frightened off by the low recommendation from the institute of medicine. All the integrative doctors I know, including Dr. Perlmutter, use much larger dosages and get solid therapeutic effects without side effects.

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The article did state that "they were looking for a target blood level of vitamin D to be close to 70ng per ml, so whatever it takes to achieve that we do."

This article makes me interested in why river is taking 15,000 IU's per day. What is it you are hoping to achieve with that dosage? I do have an interest in your reasons and do have first hand knowledge that high dosages do help repair memory problems.

Do you think high doses of vit D would help those with multiple concussion symptoms have better memory recollection?

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Don't know, but it certainly can't hurt to give it a try. I wondered the same thing when I heard that news report about the Quarterback that has memory loss most likely do to concussion. I would say at the very least he should give high dose vitamin d3, 6 months of daily use. At that time he will either notice an improvement or he will not. Either way it's a safe cheap thing to do that might help.

Sense I made my last posts to this thread, I read an article titled "Rethinking Alzheimer's - An Intriguing Herpes Connection" and it talked about positive results of starting high levels of vitamin D. Below is clipped from that report.

The article did state that "they were looking for a target blood level of vitamin D to be close to 70ng per ml, so whatever it takes to achieve that we do."

This article makes me interested in why river is taking 15,000 IU's per day. What is it you are hoping to achieve with that dosage? I do have an interest in your reasons and do have first hand knowledge that high dosages do help repair memory problems.

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I don't get out in the sun much , hence the dosage

And I had brown spots alot they are slowly but surely shrinking , disappearing

And I had brown spots a lot they are slowly but surely shrinking , disappearing

I won't reduce my dosage until all my brown disappear , maybe

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I didn't know vitamin D3 helped get rid of brown spots? Where did you hear that? So if they don't go away you will take a high dose till you die? Anyway good luck, and if you notice any other effects of taking your high dose please post it here.

I didn't know vitamin D3 helped get rid of brown spots? Where did you hear that? So if they don't go away you will take a high dose till you die? Anyway good luck, and if you notice any other effects of taking your high dose please post it here.

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Vitamin D3 has been doing just that , it has shrunk my brown spots , which is evidence of not getting enough D3

Vitamin D3 has been doing just that , it has shrunk my brown spots , which is evidence of not getting enough D3

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Lots of people in Northern climates don't get enough and also people of different ages absorb vitamin D3 at different rates, so it's very hard to know your correct dose without a specific blood test for it. It might very well be those brown spots would have shrunk with a lower dose than you are now taking. Unless you started at a lower dose for many months, you might never know. I don't believe you said how many years you've been at your current dose.

Lots of people in Northern climates don't get enough and also people of different ages absorb vitamin D3 at different rates, so it's very hard to know your correct dose without a specific blood test for it. It might very well be those brown spots would have shrunk with a lower dose than you are now taking. Unless you started at a lower dose for many months, you might never know. I don't believe you said how many years you've been at your current dose.

I see that you have been discussing Vitamin D3 and a couple of months ago I decided to start taking it based on some research that I was doing at the time. I have been taking 1000 IU daily and it seems to be providing me with several noticeable benefits, specifically more energy, less easily distressed and better skin to name a few. I have been working and playing like a mad fool, hence not participating much but with the outdoor work pretty much tended and winter setting in, I hope to drop by more frequently and join in the discussion.

I don't think anyone has posted this link on Vitamin D3 yet. There is a lot of information here, I haven't begun to digest it all.

I see that you have been discussing Vitamin D3 and a couple of months ago I decided to start taking it based on some research that I was doing at the time. I have been taking 1000 IU daily and it seems to be providing me with several noticeable benefits, specifically more energy, less easily distressed and better skin to name a few. I have been working and playing like a mad fool, hence not participating much but with the outdoor work pretty much tended and winter setting in, I hope to drop by more frequently and join in the discussion.

I don't think anyone has posted this link on Vitamin D3 yet. There is a lot of information here, I haven't begun to digest it all.

All that information and hardly anyone agrees on the best dose to be taking. I've probably averaged about 7000 IU/day for the last two years. It has noticeably helped my memory a great deal and I do feel more enthusiasm for getting out and doing things like working out at the local gym.

A trend that I've also noticed is the dosage recommendations seem to be going up and the most current studies indicate between 5,000 to 10,000 IU's/day is better, especially in older people. Sense people in sunny climates make their own vitamin D they would probably need less supplement dosage than people hibernating in the Northern climates. So if you really want to know your personal blood levels of vitamin D3 get tested for it.

I thought that I should add a bit more detail to my observation on the addition of Vitamin D to my diet. While some of my observations could be written off as purely subjective, there is one in particular that cannot be dismissed.

My fingernails had been getting very hard, brittle and ridged, several of them split and chipped, an effect that I largely blamed on my job and handling copious amounts of paper and cardboard. Since taking the Vitamin D, the split nails have now grown out, and my nails are noticeably less brittle when I clip them. The ridges also are growing out and the new nail is virtually smooth in comparison. I may actually be able to contemplate putting a clear varnish on my nails at some point in the near future as for a time, they were so work worn that I did not want to draw any attention to them.